Opening Statement

Facts of the Case

From his stronghold in the Luxor in Las Vegas, Criss Angel unfurls 18 shows
in this latest season of his popular A&E series. Past seasons have found him
suspended by hooks in his back during a helicopter ride, making sports cars
disappear, vanishing in mid-jump on a dirt-bike, walking on pool water, cutting
himself in half in plain view of spectators, and hanging out with Carrot Top.
What can he do to top himself this go-round?

The Evidence

Plenty. Setting aside whatever you may think of Criss Angel the Celebrity or
Criss Angel the Playboy Bunny Fornicator. It's impossible to deny that Criss
Angel the Musician has the goods. I've reviewed a handful of these sets and am
frequently impressed by the man's showmanship. It's not rare for my wife and I
to look at each other, dumbfounded, asking "How'd he do that?" (Yes,
GOB, we are, in the Johnson household, a bunch of Howdaydodats.) Confederates,
camera trickery, post-production malfeasance, I'm sure some of that may play a
role in the craziness Criss Angel pulls off, but who wants to spend hours
toiling in a study with algorithms trying to figure out the gags? Just hand
yourself over for a good time, and the guy will blow your mind.

A sampling of what he does this season: Beam himself into a taxi cab, make a
live prediction with billionaire Richard Branson, walk on a lake, impale himself
on a forklift, become a living toy action figure, throw a playing card into a
phone book (it's a lot cooler when you see it), vanish out of a trash can, embed
a playing card in a plane of glass, split a woman in half and stick his head in
her torso void, and a multitude of some of the greatest card tricks I've ever
seen. In fact, my favorite shows are the two Angel devotes to "up front and
close magic." The stuff he pulls there—even more so than the giant
stunt scenarios—are absolutely befuddling.

The same problems still haunt the series, though. As awesome as the actual
illusions are, the in between filler remains excruciating. Episodes have one
primary thread, be it a major illusion that happens at the end or a special
theme. Buttressing the "demonstrations" (a.k.a. illusions) are
interviews with Criss' family members and consultants, a "celebrity"
or two, and Criss himself. They all pretty much regurgitate the same warmed-over
talking points, which more often than not is about how awesome Criss Angel is. I
highly recommend fast-forwarding through these moments to get to the good
stuff.

Then there's Criss himself. For all his mind-melting skill, the guy can be
sort of cheesy. His jokes typically fall flat and his faux-surprise at seeing a
large crowd of people waiting for an illusion that has surely been planned well
in advance fails to convince. To compensate, he seems to swear a whole lot more
(covered by bleeps of course).

This eighteen episode set (full frame, 2.0 stereo), spread over three discs,
features behind-the-scenes and additional footage, most of which is about how
awesome Criss Angel is.

Closing Statement

The magic is still a sight to behold. Everything else is disposable.

The Verdict

Are you ready? Not Guilty.

Give us your feedback!

Did we give Criss Angel Mindfreak: The Complete Season Four a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.